Automatic electrical-wire coupling for cars.



H. S KIMMEL.

N AUTOMATIC ELECTRICAL WIRE COUPLING FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED 0( ZT.10. 19x4.

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PatentedSept. 21, 1915;

nrrnn srnr nownnn s. KIMMEL, or TIFFIN, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Application filed October 10, 1914. Serial No. 866,121.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HOWARD S. KIMMEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tifiin, in the county of Seneca and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Automatic Electricalire Couplers for Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic electrical wire connectors for use upon trains for connecting wiring for telephoning, signaling, etc., and comprises an automatic means whereby, as two trains equipped with my improved apparatus come together and are coupled, an electric connection will be established.

Wily invention comprises a simple and efficient device of this nature having various details of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and then specifically defined in the appended claim.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 isa side elevation of one of my improved electric wire connections, the same being partially in section. Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a section on line 3'3 of Fig. 1.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by numeral, 1 designates a supporting device which may be fastened in any suitable manner to the coupler head of a fluid pressure'pipe and is provided with upright posts 2 and 8, arranged in pairs and spaced apart, and in which are mounted the shafts 3. Concaved insulation rollers 1- are journaled upon the shafts carried by the posts 2 and are adapted to engage at points diametrically opposite the contracted portion of the rod 5 which has a flaring end 10, while similar concaved insulation rollers 11 are journaled upon the shafts carried by the posts 8 and engage an enlarged portion of the rod 5, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The shoulder 6 is formed upon said rod and a coiled spring 7 bears against said shoulder and the adjacent edges of the upright posts 8, the purpose of said spring being to normally hold the rod 5 yieldingly in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Said rod has one end slottedas at 12 and is circumferentially threaded and is adapted to receive the interiorly threaded cap 13 which is chambered out as at 14, the ends of the chambered portion being inclined or concaved as at 15. /Vire clamping jaws 16 are pivotally mounted upon the pivots 17 mounted in the walls of the slotted end of the rod and the outer edge of each jaw near its ends is conveXcd as shown and adapted to be engaged by the concaved or inclined ends of the chamber in said cap when the latter is moved in opposite directions, accordingly as it maybe desired to cause the inner or the outer ends of the jaw to be tilted. I

The operation of my device will be readily understood and is as follows: When it is desired to open the jaws to receive the wire, the cap 13 is screwed away from the post, causing the inner inclined or concaved end of the chambered portion to contact with the convexed portions at the inner ends of the jaws. The wire being inserted between the jaws and the cap being screwed back toward the post and, when the outer inclined or concaved end of the chamber comes in contact with the outer convexed ends of the jaws, the latter will be forced into gripping contact with the wire, thus securely holding the same. When each coupler head upon the train is equipped with a similar apparatus and when the two contact ends 10 come together, an electric conductor will be formed intermediate the two coupler heads, the springs which act upon the rods 5 yielding incident to the variation of distances between the two cars, thus always maintaining a conductor while the coupler heads are connected together. When the cars are uncoupled, the springs will return the rods to their normal positions.

What I claim to be new is:

An automatic electric wire connector for use upon trains, comprising a spring-pressed rod having a slotted end, a portion of the rod rearward of the slot being circumferentially threaded, pins mounted in the walls of the slotted portion, jaws pivotally mount- 6A 2 r r 1,154,027

ed upon said pins Within the slot, a CiLphavby the marginal Wall of the opening in if ing arrchambered portion o'f greater diameter said cap, v than the diameter of the slotted end of the In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my rodwhich is positioned therein, a portion signature in presence of two witnesses.

of the interior of the cap being interiorly HOWARD S. KIMMEL. threaded for engagement with the threads Witnesses: W I upon the rod, said jaws being .oonvexedupon A. L. HOUGH,

their outer edges and adapted to be engaged A. R. FOWLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing" the Commissioner of Patents, 7 Washington, D. C. 

